Selector mechanism for single trigger actions



Sept. 19, 1939. E. E. MILLER ET AL 2,173,308

SELECTOR MECHANISM FOR SINGLE TRIGGER ACTIQNS Filed June 11, 1938 +5 -4 3 Jgfa 'w X '1' l5/ 6 z 5 i7 zz/wzze 7 744. M77267 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SELECTOR MECHANKSM FOR, SINGLE TRIGGER ACTIONS Elmer E. Miller and Howard L. Miller, Millersburg, Pa.

Application June 11, 1938, Serial No. 213,260

Claims.

This invention relates to single trigger mechanism for double barreled guns and particularly to means for selecting the barrel which is first to be discharged. In such single trigger mechanisms, it is usual to have the selecting mechanism operated by the safety slide, as is shown in my Patent #1,725,663, granted August 20, 1929. This is objectionable because the slide must occupy three positions, 1. e., a safety position, a second position where it selects the right-hand barrel for firing and a third position where it selects the left-hand barrel. It is usual to provide means whereby the safety slide is automatically shifted to a safety position when the gun is closed after re-loading. While with the selecting mechanism controlled by the safety slide it is possible for the slide to return automatically to a safety position with the slide in one of its selective positions, it is not possible when the slide is in the 00 other of its selective positions.

the present invention to provide an action in which the selecting member is entirely separate from andjg dependent of the safety slide so that the slide may be shifted to or from its locking position as usual and without regard to which barrel has been fired or the position of the selector.

A further object is to mount the selector in a position convenient to the trigger finger of the gunner so that he may readily shift the selector without having to shift the safety slide.

A still further object is to greatly simplify the selector mechanism.

Inasmuch as single trigger mechanisms for double barreled guns are well known, in the accompanying drawing we have illustrated only so much of a single trigger mechanism as is necessary for an understanding of my invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the lower tang of the gun showing the trigger, the sears and the selecting mechanism in elevation.

Fig, 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-45 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line l4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, I0 designates the lower tang of a double barreled gun and II the trigger pivoted at I2 and operating through the usual slot l3 in the tang. Disposed immediately above the tang it are the sears I4, the rear ends of which are turned upward at I5 and terminate With this objection in view, it is the object of I in the inwardly extending lugs I6. Disposed between the sears is the block I1 supported by the screw I8 which extends downward as usual through the upper tang (not shown). This block is longitudinally slotted at I8 along its underface for the reception of the upper portion of the trigger; So far, we have described what is commonly found in structures of this character.

Our improved selector mechanism includes a shaft I9 extending longitudinally through the trigger. At its forward end this shaft is attached to'a knurled head accommodated within the recess 2! formed in the forward end of the trigger. The trigger, at a point just rearward of the rear face of the block I1, is vertically recessed at 22, and the shaft I9 extends across the bottom of this recess, as shown in Fig. 4, and carries an upwardly extending slightly resilient pin 23. The upper portion of the forward wall of recess 22, as shown in Fig. 2, is formed with two rearwardly extending laterally spaced stops 24 and between these stops, the face of the forward wall of recess 22 is transversely convexly curved at 25. The resilient pin 23 is biased forward or toward the curved face 25 of the trigger and thus the pin is detained against one or the other of the stops 24, it requiring a slight effort to force the pin past the outwardly bowed middle portion of the face 25.

Mountedv within an upwardly opening recess 26 in the rear portion of the trigger is the sear trip 21. This is pivoted at its lower end upon a pivot pin 28 and the upper end of the trip is rounded and adapted to contact with one or the other of the lugs I6, as shown in Fig. 3. The lower end of this trip has laterally extending lugs 29 acting as stops to limit the lateral swinging movement of the trip. For the purpose of swinging this trip from one position to the other, we provide a spring 39 which is attached at its forward end to a forward and upward extension 3| of the trigger. This spring 30 extends rearward past the pin 23 and is then coiled at 32 in the recess 22 and is then extended rearward and into the upper end of the trip 21, as shown in Fig. 3. This spring is biased toward the right so that normally it tends to throw the trip 27 under the righthand sear, this sear being the left-hand sear in Fig. 3, inasmuch as this figure is a sectional view looking rearward. It will be seen that this spring 3!} is in the path of movement of the resilient pin or arm 23 so that when this arm is thrown to the position shown in the figures, the spring 38 by its resilience, will shift the trip to the position shown in Fig.3, thus bringing this trip beneath the 3 1, and tripping the sear.

right-hand sear so that if the trigger be then pulled, the right-hand barrel will be first discharged. If, however, the shaft l9 be rotated in a counterclockwise direction in Fig. 4, the pin 23 will strike the spring 30 and shift this spring over toward the left in Fig. 4, thus bringing the trip beneath the left-hand sear. The curved face 25 will cause the pin 23 to be detained in either of its shifted positions, the resilience of the pin 23 being greater than that of the spring 30 which is relatively light. The purpose of the coil 32 is to give more resilience to the spring but if the distance between the pin 23 and trip 21 is longer than is shown in Fig. 1, this coil 32 need not be used. We have shown the rear end of the trigger as being pivotally connected to an element 33 which is part of the inertia weight commonly found in guns of this character and which is particularly illustrated in my Patent No. 1,725,663. Inasmuch as this inertia weight forms no part of the present invention, we are not illustrating it.

It is to be noted that the upper end of the trip has a transversely rounded surface and thus when the selected sear has been lifted to release the hammer and then moves downward under the action of the sear spring 34, Fig. 1, the lug if"; bearing against the rounded surface of the upper end of the trip will tend to wedge the trip inward beneath the other sear assisted by the bias of spring 38.

The operation of this action is obvious from what has gone before. The head 20 is shifted in one direction or the other by the gunner to either cause the pin 23 to shift the spring 36 to carry the trip beneath the right-hand sear or permit the spring 38 by its bias to shift the trip beneath the left-hand sear. When the trigger is pulled, the trip rises, lifting the corresponding sear against the action of the usual sear spring 34, Fig,

As the trigger is released, the sear moves downward under the action of the sear spring, forcing the trigger downward also. The downward movement of the trigger causes the depressed lug 29 (as, for instance, the lug on the left-hand in Fig. 3) to strike the tang l0, which causes the trip to swing (toward the right in Fig. 3) and this brings the rounded upper end of the trip in such position that the descending sear lug will wedge the trip laterally toward a position beneath the lug of the other sear, the trip being urged still further by the resilience of spring 30. Thus the trip is beneath the untripped sear and upon the next pull of the trigger, that sear is released.

It will be seen that the spring 39 in the position of the parts in Fig. 2 has a natural bias toward the right of the gun frame but when the pin 23 is moved toward the left side of the frame, the spring will be rebiased toward the left of the frame. Once the selector trip is set, it will always return to the position in which it has been set after both barrels have been fired. There is thus no necessity of re-setting it after the discharge of both barrels.

While we have illustrated a certain preferred form of our invention, it is to be understood that slight modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims, particularly as regards the means for yieldably holding the trip in either one of its adjusted positions.

What is claimed is:

1. A single trigger mechanism for double barreled guns, including a trigger and two sears, a trip mounted on the trigger for movement beneath either one of the sears, a shaft carried by the trigger for turning on an axis extending longitudinally of the gun and having a finger piece by which its turning is accomplished, a pin carried by the shaft to be oscillated by the turning of the shaft, 2. spring supported from one end on the trigger and extending longitudinally of the gun and at its rear end engaging with the trip, the spring being in the path of movement of the pin and biased in a direction to urge the trip into a position beneath one sear, the oscillation of the pin in one direction engaging and shifting the spring against its tension in a direction to carry the trip beneath the other sear, the trip and sears being so constructed and arranged that the downward movement of a sear after firing effects the movement of the trip over to- Wards a position beneath the other sear.

2. A single trigger mechanism for double barreled guns, including a tang, a trigger operating through the tang, two spring actuated sears, a tripv pivoted on the trigger for movement into position beneath either sear, a shaft carried by the trigger for turning on an axis extendinglongitudinally of the gun, and having a head constituting a finger piece by which its turning is accomplished, a pin carried by the shaft and oscillated thereby in a path transversely of the gun, and a spring supported from one and extending longitudinally of the gun and having its other engaging with the trip, the spring extending across the path of movement of the pin and being biased in a direction to urge the trip into a position beneath one sear, a movement of the pin in one direction engaging and shifting the spring against its tension in a direction to carry the trip beneath the other sear and to re-bias the spring, the lower end of the trip having opposed laterally projecting lugs adapted to alternately contact with the tang as the trip is depressed by the sear upon the release of the sear whereby to tilt the trip toward the other sear, the upper end of the trip being rounded whereby to cause the released sear to wedge the trip towards a position beneath the other sear.

3. A single trigger mechanism for double barreled guns, including a tang, a trigger operating through the tang, two spring actuated sears, a trip pivoted on the trigger for movement into position beneath either sear, a shaft carried by the trigger and having a head constituting a finger piece, the shaft being oscillatable on an axis extending transversely of the axis of oscillation of the trigger, a pin carried by the shaft to swing across the plane of movement of the trigger on oscillation of the shaft, a spring extending longitudinally of the gun and supported at its forward end and at its rear end engaging with the trip, the spring extending across the path of movement of the pin and being biased in a direction to urge the trip into a position beneath one sear, a movement of the pin in one direction engaging and shifting the spring against its tension in a direction. to carry the trip beneath the other sear and to re-bias the spring, means for causing the trip to tilt laterally towards a position beneath the other sear upon the downward movement of the trigger under the action of the released sear and its spring, and means constructed and arranged to cause the released sear to wedge the upper end of the trip still further laterally upon the further descent of the released sear.

. 4. A single trigger mechanism for double barreled guns, including a tang, a trigger operating through the tang, two spring actuated sears, a trip pivoted on the trigger for movement into position beneath either sear, a shaft carried by the trigger and extending longitudinally of the gun and having at its forward end a head constituting a finger piece, a pin carried by the shaft and oscillatable transversely of the gun upon turning of said shaft, a spring extending longitudinally of the gun and supported at its forward end, and at its rear end engaging with the trip, the spring extending across the path of movement of the pin and biased in a direction to urge the trip into a position beneath one sear, the movement of the pin in one direction engaging and shifting the spring against its tension in a direction to carry the trip beneath the other sear and to re-bias the spring, means constructed and arranged to automatically shift the trip over to a position beneath the other sear upon the release of the first-named sear, and resilient means for yieldingly holding the finger piece and pin in a set position.

5. A single trigger mechanism for double barreled guns, including a tang, a trigger operating through the tang, two spring actuated sears, a trip pivoted on the trigger for movement into position beneath either sear, a shaft carried by the trigger and extending longitudinally of the gun and having at its forward end a head constituting a finger piece, a pin carried by the shaft and oscillatable transversely of the gun upon turning of said shaft, a spring extending longitudinally of the gun supported at its forward end, and at its rear end engaging with the trip, the spring being in the path of movement of the pin and biased in a direction to urge the trip into a position beneath one sear, the movement of the pin in one direction engaging and shifting the spring against its tension in a direction to carry the trip beneath the other soar and to re-bias the spring, means constructed and arranged to automatically shift the trip over to a position beneath the other sear upon the release of the first-named sear, and means supported above the trigger forming a rearwardly bowed face with two opposed stops having said bowed face therebetween, the pin being resilient and biased against said face whereby the pin is yieldingly held in either of its two positions.

ELMER E. MILLER. HOWARD L. MILLER. 

